First off I'm pretty sure I got more brains than a rock, seeing as how a rock is inanimate and non-living and all.

Secondly I doubt we'll make it to mars, not this time around anyway. Mars would require a massive investment of resources, perhaps more than anything else ever before in the history of humanity. Don't think we got the discipline to pull that now.

The moon on the other hand is a known quantity, we know exactly what we're getting ourselves into here. Been there done that, the moon may also possess exploitable resources, making it an even better target, in addition to an easy target. A permanent off planet colony could be established within a decade, with material returns on the investment not long after becoming firmly established.

Not only that but the moon is safer, a crew en-route to, or already on it, is not beyond the abilty to rescue. A mars mission however would be.
5thHorseMan Reviewed by 5thHorseMan on . New manned missions to Moon, Mars --- what do you think? Is anyone else excited about the new manned missions that NASA is planning to the Moon and Mars? Even though the missions are several years out, the systems are in development now. The shuttles will be retired in a few years and then NASA will shift to a new capsule-type vehicle called Orion to transport astronauts to space and back. The Orion capsule will be boosted into space using rocket systems derived from the shuttle boosters. For missions to the Moon, the capsule will dock with a Rating: 5